What do I want?
by missyflag
Summary: Hermione is crying in a closet and he goes to investigate why. They spend the night talking together. What will happen next?


The blond-haired boy was walking down the hallway when he heard a sort of quiet whimpering. He couldn't see the exact source so he decided to investigate. The whimpering noise came from a small closet nearly empty, except for a girl. She was curled up in a ball, her auburn hair falling over her knees and shoulders, nearly touching the floor. 'My god,' he thought,' she looks almost more beautiful when she's crying.' He knelt down next to her, and since she hadn't yet noticed him, put his arms around her. She started at that, looking sharply up into his silver-blue eyes. As she tried to push him away, he looked into her tear-filled eyes, thinking of how close to chocolate they were.

"Shh. It'll be okay. I'm just trying to help you feel better." He pulled her so she was sitting in his lap and held her close as she continued to cry. After awhile she calmed down a bit.

"Who was making you cry? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He was rubbing her back as she leaned on his shoulder.

"That's okay. I don't mind. It was Harry and Ron, but mostly Harry. They always want me to do what they want, never thinking of what I want. This time, Harry just went too far." She closed her eyes and shuddered.

"Do you want to tell me what happened? I'll listen to you." He stopped rubbing her back long enough to grab his wand and conjure a blanket from his room to cover them both.

"It's a long story. Are you sure you have the time to listen to me?" She lifted her head to look in his eyes and see if he truly didn't mind.

"Well, seeing as it is after-hours anyway, I have until breakfast. Somehow I think the story will be over by then." He gave her a small smile, not a smirk, and continued. "But if it's not, I have all the time you need, princess." She started at the name he called her, but leaned back against his shoulder, getting comfortable.

"Thanks, Draco. It means a lot to me. But anyways, on to the story."

For once, I wasn't actually doing homework. I had finished it all earlier. So I was sitting in the common room, watching Harry and Ron play wizard's chess. They seemed very intent on their game and it looked as if Harry might win for once. I was reading, just watching and trying to figure out why they like that game so much. As I'm contemplating this, Harry wins. He turns and gives me a big hug, exhilarated with his win. He then takes both my hands as Ron walks away, looking dejected.

"Ron, where are you going?" I asked as he kept walking. "Harry, where's Ron going?"

"He lost the game and the prize. I guess he can't take it anymore." Harry said, looking smug.

"What's the prize?" I asked quite naively.

"Why, 'Mione, it's you. Whoever won that game of wizards chess got to go out with you." Harry leaned in and tried to kiss me.

"Harry! Get off me! Did it ever occur to you to think of what I wanted? Well that's a stupid question. Obviously not!" I pulled my hands out of his and pushed him away.

"You don't want me? I thought you of all people would be in love with me." Harry leaned in again for a kiss.

"No! Don't you get it? I don't like you as anything more than a friend. Now leave me alone!" With that I ran out of the door. I fell down the stairs and heard Peeves coming and ran in here, trying to be quiet.

As Hermione finished her story, she realized that Draco's head lightly rested on hers, smelling her hair.

"I can't blame them for liking you. You are the most beautiful girl in our year." He talked with his lips in her hair, barely whispering loud enough for her to hear.

"You really think I'm beautiful? Even looking like this?" Hermione had never thought she was beautiful or even pretty.

"Especially like this. Tucked right where I want you. But what do you want, princess?" Draco hugged her closer to his chest, pulling the blanket back up.

"What do I want?" She thought about it for a moment, then began to talk again. "I want my friends to understand me, I want somebody to love me so much that they can't bear to spend the day without me. I want the stars, moon and sky. I want the earth to be open to let me claim my place on it. I want romance and adventure from life. I want to live a moment free of all responsibility, not caring about consequences. I want to LIVE life, not just be content to be alive. Most of all, I want to be happy again. Not just normal happy, but the happy where you can't keep from laughing, even if there's nothing there. It just spills over from your happiness. Is that too much to ask?" She looked up at Draco, Prince of Slytherin, and wondered again why he was there.

"It's a tall order, princess, but I'll try my best to fill it." He kissed the top of her head softly.

"Why do keep calling me princess? I like it, but why?" Hermione was so comfortable that she almost was asleep.

"If I'm the Prince of Slytherin, then you are my princess, Hermione." He looked into her sleepy eyes and asked her "May I give you a kiss good night?"

"I think (yawn) I'd like that." She leaned up her head for the kiss. It was simple and sweet, full of something she couldn't quite identify with her state of mind. He disconnected and continued to hold her close.

"You're safe here. I won't hurt you princess. You can sleep." He looked down at the beautiful girl in his arms until he was sure she was asleep. "Good night, my love." He uttered before he joined her in slumber.


End file.
